CONTENTS 
CHAPTER I 
HOW I BECAME A KEEPER 
Early days—Schemes and dreams by day and night—The 
fascination of game-keeping—The bright side—I fire a gun 
—Caps and candles—Mimic shoots—The question of a 
career—I become a gamekeeper at fifteen shillings a week— 
First impressions—The finger trick—The best start—Value 
PAGES 
of education-—Responsibilities—Worries of first shoot I—7 
CHAPTER II 
ON A PARTRIDGE BEAT 
‘My first beat—A farmer—’Enry the carter—His brother-in- 
law’s rabbit-shooting and mine—A novel puncture—A 
good ratting ferret-—End of a poaching cat—Foxes—I 
catch egg-stealers—Gipsies—Egg trickery and gratuitous 
advice - ai = = e 8—24 
CHAPTER III 
MY FIRST SHOOT 
Sweet September—Estimating birds—A night out—False 
alarms—Hungry, wet, and weary—The First—Bubble bags 
—A lurcher—My friend the shepherd—Ten-thirty—Who 
knows best ?—My first tip—Forty and a half brace ! - 25—35 
CHAPTER IV 
PARTRIDGES 
Their popularity and thrift—Their comparative scarcity—How 
they are persecuted—Thoughtless shooters—Partridges 
pay for attention—Birds in bad weather—Poverty of their 
food compared to that of pheasants—Value of artificial 
feeding—Destruction of nests—Cheap nesting cover— 
Coverts—Why always pheasants?—Dogs and nests— 
Faults of partridges— Farmers and compensation — A 
health to the bonny brown birds - - - 36—51 
Vil 
